THE SILVER AND GOLD COINS OF THE ALEXANDER TYPE IN THE WEST PONTIC AREA IN THE 3RD CENTURY BC – “PEACE-MONEY”, “PROTECTION MONEY” OR SOMETHING ELSE
Abstract
The so-called posthumous tetradrachms of the Alexander type, struck in the ancient city of Cabyle in the interior of Thrace, as well as in most cities along the western Black Sea coast in the 3rd century BC, have always been a favourite topic of research. In 1991, the British numismatist Martin Price, in his fundamental work on the Alexander type coinages, presenting too brief overview of the silver and gold coins minted in the cities in the West Pontic area, has made the assumption that all these tetradrachms along with the gold staters struck simultaneously, were minted as “peace-money” intended to redeem the peace of those cities from the neighbouring tribes in the interior of Thrace, or as “protection money paid to the Gauls” intended for ransom to the Celtic Kingdom in Thrace. All modern authors who have written on this topic support these hypotheses. Although it has long ago been noticed the extremely high stylistic similarity between the tetradrachms of the ruler Kavaros minted at Cabyle and the tetradrachms minted in the West Pontic cities in the 3rd century BC, as almost all have used for these coins the term “Kavaros style”, introduced by Martin Price, nevertheless these tetradrachms have always been interpreted as autonomous civic coins. However, a completely new interpretation of the nature of these coins is presented here – that all they were in fact lifetime royal issues of the ruler Kavaros in Thrace.
Keywords
DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i1.943
References
DANOV 1979
Danov, Chr., Die Thraker auf dem Ostbalkan von der hellenistischen Zeit bis zur Gründung Konstantinopels. In: Temporini, H., Haase, W. (eds.), Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt. Teil II, Band 7.1. (Walter de Gruyter) (Berlin – New York), 23-182.
DELEV 2003
Delev, P., From Corupedion towards Pydna: Thrace in the third century, Thracia 15, 107-120.
DELEV 2004
Delev, P., Lizimah / Lysimachus (in Bulgarian) (Sofia: “St. Kliment Ohridski” University Press).
DIMITROV 1987
Dimitrov, K., Nachalnite monetosecheniya ot Alexandrov tip po Zapadnoto Chernomorie, Muzei i pametnitsi na kulturata 4, 55-63.
DIMITROV 2010
Dimitrov, K. 2010. Celts, Greeks and Thracians in Thrace during the Third Century BC. Interactions in History and Culture. In: Vagalinski, L. (ed.), In Search of Celtic Tylis in Thrace (III c. BC). Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary Colloquium arranged by the National Archaeological Institute and Museum at Sofia and the Welsh Department, Aberystwyth University, held at the National Archaeological Institute and Museum, Sofia, 8 May 2010 (Sofia), 51-66.
DOMARADSKI 1984
Domaradski, M., Keltite na Balkanskiya poluostrov IV – I v. pr.n.e. (Sofia: Nauka i izkustvo).
DRAGANOV 1984
Draganov, D., The minting of silver coins of Cabyle and of king Cavarus, Études balkaniques 4, 94-109.
DRAGANOV 1993
Draganov, D., Monetosecheneto na Kabile / The Coinage of Cabyle (in Bulgarian, English summary) (Sofia: DIOS).
DRAGANOV 2000
Draganov, D., The bronze coinage of Dionysopolis. Typology. In: Kluge, B., Weisser, B. (eds.), Akten des XII Internationaler Numismatischer Kongress in Berlin 1997 / Proceedings of the XII International Congress of Numismatics in Berlin 1997. (Publisher: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin) (Berlin), 275-279.
FOL 1975
Fol, A., Trakiya i Balkanite prez rannoelinisticheskata epoha (Sofia: Nauka i izkustvo).
GERASSIMOV 1957
Gerassimov, T., Rare coins of Thrace, The Numismatic Chronicle, Sixth Series, Vol. XVII, 1-5.
GERASSIMOV 1958
Gerassimov, T., The Alexandrine Tetradrachms of Cabyle in Thrace. In: Ingholt, H. (ed.), Centennial Publication of the American Numismatic Society (American Numismatic Society) (New York), 273-277.
GERASSIMOV 1959
Gerassimov, T., Gde sa secheni tetradrahmite na Kavar, keltski vladetel v Trakiya, Izvestiya na arheologicheskiya institut XXII, 111-118.
KARAYOTOV 1994
Karayotov, I. 1994. The Coinage of Mesambria. Vol. I. Silver and Gold Coins of Mesambria. (Thracia Pontica Series VI. Thracia maritima. Corpus nummorum). Published by Centre of underwater archaeology, Sozopol, Bulgaria. Veliko Turnovo.
LAZAROV 2010
Lazarov, L. 2010. The Celtic Tylite State in the Time of Cavarus. In: Vagalinski, L. (ed.), In Search of Celtic Tylis in Thrace (III c. BC). Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary Colloquium arranged by the National Archaeological Institute and Museum at Sofia and the Welsh Department, Aberystwyth University, held at the National Archaeological Institute and Museum, Sofia, 8 May 2010 (Sofia), 97-113.
LE RIDER / OLCAY 1988
Le Rider, G. / Olcay, N., Le trésor de Kirazlı (Près d'Amasya): IGCH 136, Anatolia Antiqua – Eski Anadolu (1987) (= Varia Anatolica 1). Istanbul: Institut Français d'Études Anatoliennes–Georges Dumézil, 23-34.
MANOV 2017a
Manov, M., V tarsene na Tyulis ili Trakiya mezhdu 341 i 218 g. pr. Hr. (In Search of Tylis or Thrace between 341 and 218 BC) (in Bulgarian) (Sofia: Borina Publishing House).
MANOV 2017b
Manov, M., The earliest bronze coins of the king Kavaros. In: Boteva, D. (ed.), Ex nummis lux. Studies in Ancient Numismatics in Honour of Dimitar Draganov (Bobokov Bros. Foundation) (Sofia), 113-121.
MANOV 2018
Manov, M., A Unique Bronze Coin of an Unknown Ruler of the Celtic Kingdom in Thrace, Pontica 51, 553-570.
MARINESCU / LORBER 2012
Marinescu, C. / Lorber, C., The “Black Sea” Tetradrachm Hoard. In: Filipova, S., Paunov, E. (eds.), ΗΡΑΚΛΕΟΥΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΘΑΣΙΩΝ. Studia in honorem Iliae Prokopov sexagenario ab amicis et discipulis dedicata (Veliko Turnovo), 197-259.
MIHAILESCU-BÎRLIBA 2018
Mihailescu-Bîrliba, V., In search of the lost Celts (Research on the Celtic and imitative coinage in Romania, Bulgaria and the Rep. of Moldova in 2008 – 2013). – Studii și cercetări de numismatică S.N. 5-8 (17-20), (2014 – 2017), 17-32.
MØRKHOLM 1991
Mørkholm, O., Early Hellenistic Coinage from the Accession of Alexander to the Peace of Apamea (336 – 186 B.C.). (Edited by Grierson, Ph. & Westermark, U.) (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
OLCAY / SEYRIG 1965
Olcay, N. / Seyrig, H., Le trésor de Mektepini en Phrygie (Paris: Libraire orientaliste Paul Geuthner).
PETAC 2009
Petac, E., Noi date privind tezaurele de monede de aur din perioada elenistică descoperite în Dobrogea : o nouă cronologie a tezaurului de la Dăeni, jud. Tul¬cea, Buletinul Societăţii Numismatice Române 98 – 103, 9-20.
PETAC 2011
Petac, E., From the types of Alexander to Lysimachus: the chronology of some Mesembrian and other West Pontic staters, American Journal of Numismatics, Second series 23, 7-14.
PETAC 2016
Petac, E., About a New 3rd Century BC Lysimachus Type Stater from Tomis, Revista de cercetări arheologice şi numismatice 2, 105-110.
PETAC / VÎLCU 2012a
Petac, E. / Vîlcu, A., The Second Syrian War and Gold Staters of Alexander Type struck at Istros, American Journal of Numismatics, Second Series 24, 53-60.
PETAC / VÎLCU 2012b
Petac, E. / Vîlcu, A., Syrian Wars and the Beginning of Lysimachus–type staters at Tomis, Istros XVIII, 51-63.
PETAC / VÎLCU 2013
Petac, E. / Vîlcu, A., The Lysimachus gold mintage from Odessos, Istros XIX, 309-326.
PRICE 1991
Price, M. J. 1991. The Coinage in the Name of Alexander the Great and Philip Arrhidaeus (Zurich – London: Published by the Swiss Numismatic Society in association with British Museum Press. Printed by Paul Haupt AG Bern, Switzerland).
RUSSEVA 1994
Russeva, B., Pǎrvite emisii srebǎrni Alexandrov tip tetradrahmi ot Sinopa, Mesambria i Kalatis v kontexta na sǎkrovishteto ot Varna (IGCH 871), Numismatica i sphragistica 1-4, 11-30.
RUSSEVA 2004
Russeva, B., Nov shtrih vǎrhu srebǎrnoto monetosechene na Kabile/ New evidence for the silver coinage of Cabyle, Numismatica, sphragistica i epigraphica 1, 19-31 (in Bulgarian, English summary).
RUSSEVA 2005a
Russeva, B., Povtorno za rannite mesambrijski alexandrovki s monogram ΠΑ / Encore une fois pour les premières alexandres de Mésembria au monogramme pi-alpha. In: Stoyanov, T. et alii (eds.), Heros Hephaistos. Studia in honorem Liubae Ognenova-Marinova (Veliko Tǎrnovo), 185-198 (in Bulgarian, French summary).
RUSSEVA 2005b
Russeva, B., Nov kurioz v srebǎrnoto monetosechene na zapadnopontijskite gǎrci prez III stoletie pr. Hr. / Un nouveau cas curieux dans le monnayage en argent des Grecs dans les régions d’Ouest de la mer Noire durant le III s. av. J.C. In: Vladkova, P., Chohadzhieva, G., Martinova, V. (eds.), Monetite i banknotite – vǎzmozhni prochiti. Yubileen sbornik v chest na Hristo Haritonov (Veliko Tǎrnovo), 63-69 (in Bulgarian, French summary).
RUSSEVA 2006
Russeva, B., Shest srebǎrni alexandrovki ot elinisticheska Trakija – fragment ot sǎrovishte ot Shumensko (?) / Six silver Alexanders from Hellenistic Thrace – a fragment of a hoard from Shumen region (?), Numismatica, sphragistica i epigraphica (Studia in honorem professoris Iordankae Iurukova) 3/part 1, 33-57 (in Bulgarian, English summary).
RUSSEVA 2008a
Russeva, B., Za srebǎrnite alexandrovki na Kalatis Pontijski / On the Silver Alexanders of Callatis Pontica, Numismatica, sphragistica i epigraphica 4, 1-23 (in Bulgarian, English summary).
RUSSEVA 2008b
Russeva, B., The silver Alexanders of Callatis from issues Price 931-933, 935, 942, 944, 946 and their stylistic identity with the tetradrachms of Mesembria Pontica from variety Price 985 (= Price 987). In: Dimitrova, D. (ed.), Po pǎtya na minaloto. Sbornik nauchni statii po povod 65-godishninata na Dr. Georgi Kitov (Sofia), 172-176 (in Bulgarian, English summary).
RUSSEVA 2008c
Russeva, B. 2008c. Not Calchedon, but Callatis struck the gold and silver Alexanders of the issues Price 890-946 in the third century BC. In: Spinei, V., Munteanu, L. (eds.), Miscellanea numismatica antiquitatis: in honorem septagenarii magistri Virgilii Mihailescu-Bîrliba oblata (Bucureşti), 197-204.
TACHEV 2015
Tachev, Y. Srebǎrnoto monetosechene na Dionisopolis /The silver coinage of Dionysopolis. In: Yordanov, I. (ed.), Bǎlgariya v evropejskata kultura, nauka, obrazovanie, religiya. Chast 1 (Shumen), 79-92 (in Bulgarian, English summary).
TACHEVA 1986
Tacheva, M., Prichini za ikonomicheskata i politicheska kriza v drevna Trakiya prez III v. pr.n.e., Godishnik na Sofijskiya universitet, Istoricheski fakultet 75 (1982), 5-12.
TACHEVA 1987
Tacheva, M., Istoriya na balgarskite zemi v drevnostta. Vtora chast: Razvitie i raztsvet na robovladelskoto obshtestvo (Sofia: Nauka i izkustvo).
TOMASCHITZ 2002
Tomaschitz, K., Die Wanderungen der Kelten in der antiken literarischen Überlieferung (Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften).
TOPALOV 1999
Topalov, S., Odesos. Prinosi kǎm prouchvane monetosecheneto na grada IV – I v. pr.n.e. / Odessos. Contribution to the study of the coin minting of the city 4th – 1st c. BC (in Bulgarian, English summary). (Sofia: Nasko–1701)
VENEDIKOV 1955
Venedikov, I., Keltskoto nashestvie v nashite zemi prez III v. pr.n.e. pod svetlinata na arheologicheskite materiali, Istoricheski pregled 3, 77-95.
VÎLCU 2013
Vîlcu, A., Tetradrahmele de tip Alexandru cel Mare bătute la Istros, Studii şi cercetǎri de numismaticǎ XVI, 173-176.
VÎLCU / PETAC 2020
Vîlcu, A. / Petac, E., Some Remarks on Gold Staters of Alexander the Great Type Struck at Kallatis. In: Dotkova, M. (ed.), Carissimae magistrae grato animo. Collectanea in memory of Prof. Yordanka Yurukova (= Bulletin of the National Institute of Archaeology XLVI) (Sofia), 47-52.
WALBANK 1957
Walbank, F. W., A Historical Commentary on Polybius. Volume I (Oxford: The Clarendon Press).
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
ISSN: 2360-266X